Black Forest Brownie Bites

The Whole Foods in Colorado Springs has this amazing Black Forest cake. On my daughter’s and my son’s birthdays, I would always try to convince them to not have me make a cake at home, but to order a Black Forest cake.

Not only did they use tart cherries, but they had a buttercream frosting with a hint of almond extract that was virtually addicting.

My friend Stephanie and I met up at a farmer’s market a few weeks ago after she found this vendor who sells pitted tart cherries by the bucketful. Now, how could I resist trying to make brownies that taste like my favorite Black Forest cake?

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the insides of 12 standard muffin tins. Dust the butter with sugar, just as you would with flour. Set aside.

2. With a wooden spoon, combine brownie mix with eggs, butter, and vanilla. Mix until well combines. Divide batter among the muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center brownies are cooked through. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Top with Almond buttercream. Mix cherries with sugar in a small bowl, and place a spoonful of cherries on each brownie bite.

*My tart cherries were already sweetened, so I didn’t need to add any sugar. If yours are unsweetened, add sugar to your liking.

1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and almond extract with an electric mixer. Beat until smooth. Add in heavy cream, incorporating a little at a time to prevent splattering. When all the cream has been added, turn the mixer to high, and beat until soft peaks form.

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